Alem khanDirector’s debut “After Love” topped the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) with six wins.
The film, in which a recently widowed woman comes to terms with a shocking secret about her husband’s life, won the award for best British independent film, presented by Kate Beckinsale. Khan won three other BIFAs – Best Director, the Douglas Hickox Award for Best Principal Director and Best Screenplay, Joanna Scanlan winning Best Actress and Talid Ariss for Best Supporting Actor for their performances in the film.
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Adeel Akhtar won the Best Actor award for his role in Clio Barnard’s forbidden love story, “Ali & Ava,” which also saw Connie Farr and Harry Escott win the award for Best Music.
The award for Best Supporting Actress went to Vinette Robinson for her work in Philip Barantini’s one-stop restaurant cooking drama “Boiling Point,” which also received awards for Carolyn McCleod for Best Cast. , Matthew Lewis for Best Cinematography and James Drake, Rob Entwistle and Kiff McManus for Best Sound.
Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s “Flee”, the animated real-life story of a childhood refugee’s hidden past, won the award for best international independent film.
The Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor to British Cinema has been awarded to the “Sound of Metal” actor Ahmed Rice. The actor, who also writes and produces, thanked all of his industry mentors. He was visibly moved when he thanked his family.
“My family told me everything there is to know about storytelling and acting,” Ahmed said. “I want to thank my wife for teaching me that telling a story is opening your heart. I want to thank my sister for being so dramatic.
“I want to thank my brother who faced so many demons for me, real and imagined,” Ahmed said. “And I want to thank my parents who taught me every day by example, what it is to tell a story, what it is to act. And the way they showed me that, it was every day five times a day, they stood before the Creator, before creativity itself, and emptied themselves of their ego and left something greater than ‘them and other than them take his place. And that’s what it is to tell a story.
Ahmed’s eight-minute speech earned him a standing ovation.
Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast”, which had secured 11 nominations, returned home empty-handed.
The awards ceremony took place at Old Billingsgate, London on Sunday as an in-person event, hosted by Asim Chaudhry.
WINNERS OF BIFA 2021
The Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor to British Cinema
Ahmed Rice
The special jury prize
Raise Movies
Best British Independent Film
“After love” – Aleem Khan, Matthieu De Braconier
Best director
Aleem Khan – “After love”
Best actress
Joanna Scanlan – “After Love”
Best Supporting Actress
Vinette Robinson – “Boiling point”
The Douglas Hickox Prize
(Best First Director)
Aleem Khan – “After love”
Revolutionary performance
Nell Barlow – “Honey”
Best documentary sponsored by intermission
“Poly Styrene: I’m a Cliché” – Paul Sng, Celeste Bell, Zoë Howe, Rebecca Mark-lawson, Matthew Silverman, Daria Nitsche
Best Screenplay Sponsored by BBC Film
Aleem Khan – “After love”
Best actor
Adeel Akhtar – “Ali and Ava”
Best Supporting Actor
Talid Ariss – “After love”
Revolutionary Producer Sponsored by Pinewood Studio Group
Michelle Antoniades – “Honey”
Best First Screenwriter Sponsored by Film4
Cathy Brady – “Forest fire”
The Raindance Discovery Prize
“Poly Styrene: I’m a Cliché” – Paul Sng, Celeste Bell, Zoë Howe, Rebecca Mark-lawson, Matthew Silverman, Daria Nitsche
Best British Short Film supported by BFI Network
“Woman” – Sam H. Freeman, Ng Choon Ping, Sam Riztenberg, Hayley Williams, Rienjke Attoh
Best international independent film sponsored by Champagne Taittinger
“Flee” – Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Amin Nawabi, Monica Hellstrøm, Signe Byrge Sørensen
Best Casting Sponsored by Spotlight & Casting Society
Carolyn Mcleod – “Boiling Point”
Best Photography Sponsored by Dirty Looks & Kodak
Matthew Lewis – “Boiling Point”
Best costume design
Grace Snell – “The Remembrance, Part II”
Best Music Sponsored by Universal Music Publishing
Connie Farr, Harry Escott – “Ali and Ava”
Best effects
Steven Bray, Mike Knights, Dan Martin, Leigh Cranston – “Dashcam”
Best Editing
Helle Le Fèvre – “The Remembrance Part II”
Best makeup and hairstyle
Vickie Lang, Kristyan Mallett, Donald Mcinnes – “The Electric Life of Louis Wain”
Best production design
Stéphane Collonge – “The Souvenir Part II”
Best Sound Supported by Halo
James Drake – “Boiling Point”
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